Heavy rain hits eastern NSW

Some areas of eastern NSW have seen their heaviest rain in three years during the last two days.

A slow-moving low pressure trough combined with moisture-laden easterly winds caused heavy and persistent rain along the central coast and ranges of NSW on Thursday and Friday.

Image: Cloud and rain over central eastern NSW on Friday morning.

Most place between Sydney and Newcastle received 50-100mm of rain during the 24 hours to 9am on Friday. The highest totals during this time were recorded at Gosford (114mm), Blacksmiths (109mm) and Ettalong (107mm). Sydney's 43mm was the city's heaviest rain since mid-March.

While the heaviest rain from this system occurred to the east of Sydney's water catchments, a rain gauge at Warragamba received a welcome 27mm to 9am on Friday. Nearby Wentworth Falls collected 26mm.

A small but intense thunderstorm also caused thick accumulations of small hail in parts of Coffs Harbour on Thursday evening, enough to make it look like a layer of snow in some areas.

By Friday afternoon, Gosford had collected 154mm of rain during the 30 hours to 3pm, making this its wettest pair of days in three years.

Rain will continue to affect parts of the central coast and ranges in NSW during Friday and Saturday, mainly in the Hunter and Mid North Coast districts. Drier weather will return on Sunday as the trough moves offshore.